PDHealey PDH Photo

Shinjuku in Black and White

2012-02-13T08:46:00.000-06:00

Shinjuku is a busy business and retail district of Tokyo known for its amazing neon displays at night. It's one of those places that, for a photographer, tends to be all about color. So, given my recent obsession with black and white, I decided to take some of my photos from Shinjuku, and see how they would look without all that color.

Predictably, many didn't work well without color, but some did. Above is an uncharacteristically calm and people-less view taken in Shinjuku Central Park. Below is the plaza in front of Shinjuku Station. Even without color, it conveys the frenetic energy of Shinjuku in the evening.

Travel Spot: Church of Saint Peter, Malmo, Sweden

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

The Church of Saint Peter in Malmo, Sweden, is a beautiful edifice built in 1319. Although much of the interior has been updated, it still features an elaborate, and ancient, altar, above. As is common in churches from the middle ages, important local personages are buried in the floor.

Of particular note is the baptistry, which has been restored, but features the original artwork from the 1300s on the walls.

The original artwork is quite elaborate, and beautiful.

Malmo is on the southern tip of Sweden. Today it is the Swedish terminus of the bridge and tunnel that connects Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. The university town of Lund, and the wonderful Lund Cathedral are just a few miles away, while Helsingborg is just up the coast. All worth a visit.

Full Moon Again

2012-02-06T05:00:00.004-06:00

(Click on a picture to see a larger version)

The weather continues to be incredibly mild here in East-Central Illinois. Instead of piles of snow and battery-killing cold, we have clear skies and temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Amazing.

With the moon near full last night, I headed out in the evening to see what I could find. Above is the grain elevator at Pesotum Illinois, nicely flanked by radio towers. Below is a view of Tolono, IL, from south of town.

The forecast is for clouds for the rest of the week, so last night may have been my only chance for this full moon.

Ise in Black and White

2012-02-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

I've been working on black and white conversions of photos from my visit to the Ise Grand Shrine complex in Ise, Japan in 2006. Above is a picture sof one of the massive Torii on the shrine grounds.

Below are a couple of views of Ohari-Machi, an old fashioned market town just outside the shrine gates.

Such old-style Japanese architecture translates well to black and white, I think. It reminds of watching some old Kurasawa films.

Photo of the Day

2012-02-01T05:00:00.004-06:00

This is Neil Street in downtown Champaign, Illinois. I took the photo on Monday evening as part of a test shoot for a time lapse film I'm planning. The color version was fine, but I thought it took on a better look in black and white.

Another Sunset

2012-01-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

Saturday was beautifully clear, so I headed out to one of my favorite photo sites to catch the sunset. As often happens, the best light occurred after the sun had set, so I stayed on, enduring the cold and a steady, freezing west wind. (Poor me!) The photo above was taken about 15 minutes after sunset. The picture below, about ten minutes later from a slightly different angle.

I'll have to try these shots again in the summer.

Photo(s) of the Day

2012-01-27T10:55:00.000-06:00

More black and white. This time it's pictures from Kyoto. Above, a piece I call Bullet Train. Below, a view of the Kyoto Tower.

Have a great weekend!

Photo of the Day

2012-01-25T05:00:00.001-06:00

I've been doing some more black and white conversions. Here is Monument Valley, Arizona, from October of 2010.

Photosynth Again

2012-01-23T05:00:00.008-06:00

I have continued to to play around with the I-Phone program Photosynth, which I wrote about previously. Reading the paper one morning, I used the I-Phone to take a panorama of my study, including my cat Isabel, who was hogging the footstool. The program is not perfect. Exposure is a bit dodgy, and the merge function can make some real bungles. In the photo below, my coffee cup in the lower right merges into thin air, and the desk to the right above it is poorly joined. (Click on the picture for a larger version.)

I liked the results, so I decided to get a panorama of my home office*, just for comparison. It too came out fairly well, and the program makes the process effortless. I may have to make a panorama of every room in my house. I think the exposure and joining problems have to be treated as a feature rather than a bug, and you have to except a certain funky style to Photosynth pictures. It's fun to use, and I'm going to keep trying it.

*Why, you ask, do I need both a study and a home office? Good question, and I'm not sure I have a good answer. The most honest answer is probably that I am a single person living in a five bedroom house, and I had to do something with all those rooms. However, apart from living a life of excess, the two rooms play different roles in my life. I read and write in the study, and work on photography and mundane home chores (checkbook, e-mail, etc.) in the office. And yes, I could get by without both if I had to.

Photo of the Day

2012-01-20T05:00:00.003-06:00

I've been working with some of the infrared shots I took this summer, mostly converting them to black and white. Here is one of my favorites, so far.

Photo of the Day

2012-01-17T21:34:00.000-06:00

During our brief period of snow this week I headed out just after sunset to see if I could get some pictures of the sky. This shot, taken just south of Urbana, was the best I could get. I think it conveys the quiet calm of a winter evening.

The Beauty of the Moonlight--Part 2

2012-01-13T05:00:00.005-06:00

On my outings over the past week to revisit favorite farm buildings in order to photograph them under the full moon, I also came across a number of other structures and scenes that photographed well. Here are a few of them (Click on any picture to see a larger version).

First, an elevator located between Urbana and St. Joseph Illinois looked fine in the moonlight.

I also discovered that simple open countryside looks good. This is a revelation, because even as I was photographing it, the scene in front of me just looked dark.

Here are some more farm buildings, but this time a with a little light painting on my part.

And finally, an abandoned gas station in Oakwood, Illinois, looking ghostly in the moonlight.

As predicted, the weather turned bad today, with clouds and rain, and snow predicted for tomorrow. The moon is nowhere to be seen. However, the next time it's full, I will be out there again looking for beautiful scenes.

The Beauty of the Moonlight--Part 1

2012-01-11T05:00:00.007-06:00

East Central Illinois has experienced exceptionally mild weather for the last week or so, with highs in the 40s and 50s (I guess a serious cold front is coming this week, so that's the end of that). It has also been exceptionally clear. These conditions, combined with a full moon, have provided a great chance for night photography.

Specifically, I've been re-visiting some of my favorite old farm buildings that I've shot in the daytime, to see what they look like under a full moon. The first, below, is a barn I first photographed almost exactly a year ago. The top photo is daylight, the second full moon. (Click on any picture to see a larger version.)

The next one I tried was a bit of a disappointment. The subject is a great old triple corn crib that has to be 100 years old. Unfortunately, there is a yard light on it that pretty much ruins the effect at night.

Finally, I revisited my favorite photo site out in the country, to see how it looked in the moon light. Once again, daylight first and then moonlight.

On Friday, I will post some new sites I found that look especially good in the moonlight.

Planning and Results

2012-01-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

A while back I posted a picture of an old barn, and wrote about how I was planning to get a night shot of the same barn. That post is here. My original plan was to use a technique called light painting to get the effect I wanted.

This evening I headed out to get the shot. It all went fine, except the only light painting done, and the only needed, was by the nearly-full moon. Here are the results (Click on the picture to see a larger version):

I like this picture, and I may go out and find some other old buildings to photograph in the full moon.

The light painting was fun to try, but it didn't come out as well as I'd hoped. Here is an example:

I think it needs work as an effect. Luckily, that kind of work is lots of fun.

If my technique develops and I get some better shots, I'll post them here.

Macro

2012-01-06T05:00:00.001-06:00

My Canon G12 has a surprisingly good macro feature--something I have been largely ignoring. Until now. I began playing with it yesterday using some old coins I had lying around. The results were fascinating, and I thought I'd share some of them here. I'm still learning about lighting at such close and crowded quarters, but apart from that, I am very pleased.

Panoramas Plus

2012-01-04T05:00:00.002-06:00

I've always enjoyed working with panoramas. They are most commonly made by taking overlapping shots in the camera, and then combining those photos in Photoshop or a dedicated panorama program (of which there are many). My newest toy is an IPhone app called "Photosynth." Photosynth makes it very easy to take a panorama with your IPhone, as it takes the pictures for you as you move your IPhone camera around, and then stitches it all together for you. The photo above, of my back yard, is an illustration of what it does.

Below is a Photosynth panorama taken in a local coffee shop:

It really is incredibly easy. If you have an IPhone, and have any interest in creating panoramas, Photosynth will have you creating great ones in no time. Here is another:

Finally, for comparison purposes, Here is a normal panorama I took just minutes before the power plant picture above, using a Canon G12 Camera and processed in Photoshop:

It's higher quality, but much harder to do. With my IPhone in my pocket, I predict I'll be doing a lot more panoramas this year.

2011 In Review: The Video

2012-01-02T05:00:00.004-06:00

I enjoyed finding and posting my top 20 photos of 2011, but I wanted to put something together that gave more of a sense of what I'd done with photography over the course of the year. So here it is: a video slide show of my year in photography. Enjoy!

A larger, higher resolution version is available on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/34440475

Year in Review--2011, pt. 7 (Final)

2011-12-30T05:00:00.008-06:00

It's time for my annual year in review, in which I pick my top 20 photos for the year. I've been posting my selections in groups of three since December 16. In this final installment, my top 2 picks for the year.

2. Grand Tetons, WY.

1. Stair trails and observatory, southwest of Champaign, IL.

I enjoyed reviewing my work this year and selecting the top 20, but I'm especially excited about the photographic possibilities for the coming year, and about posting some of those photos here on this blog. Thanks for reading!

Happy new year!

Year in Review--2011, pt. 6

2011-12-28T05:00:00.003-06:00

It's time for my annual year in review, in which I pick my top 20 photos for the year. I'll be posting my selections in groups of three between now and the end of the year. The first installment was posted on December 16. In this sixth installment, pictures 5 to 3.

5. Cornfield and moonrise, Mahomet, IL.

4. Elevators, Minneapolis, MN.

3. Edge of the great plains, Basin, WY.

Year in Review--2011, pt. 5

2011-12-26T05:00:00.004-06:00

8. Storage barns, Tolono, IL.

7. Yellowstone River and Absaroka Mountains, south of Livingston, MT.

6. Minnehaha elevator district, Minneapolis, MN.

Year in Review--2011, pt. 4

2011-12-23T05:00:00.003-06:00

11. Sunset Reflection, Savoy, IL.

10. Yellowstone National park, WY.

9. Old grain bin, southwest of Champaign, IL.

Year in Review--2011, pt. 3

2011-12-21T05:00:00.002-06:00

14. Near Pinecliffe, CO

13. Momento Mori, Minneapolis, MN

12. Sunset, Philo, IL

Year in Review--2011, pt. 2

2011-12-19T05:00:00.002-06:00

17. Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo, NC

16. Infrared Sky

15. Infrared Countryside

Year in Review--2011, pt. 1

2011-12-16T05:00:00.002-06:00

It's time for my annual year in review, in which I pick my top 20 photos for the year. I'll be posting my selections in groups of three between now and the end of the year.

2011 was a pretty good year for travel. I drove as far east as the east coast from New Jersey to South Carolina, as far west as Yellowstone, north to the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan, and south as far as north Texas. The photos that I have selected as my 20 best of the year show a lot of different parts of the country.

Today we have the first three, numbers 20 to 18.

20. Cornfields and Cloud, Champaign, IL

19. Chesapeake Bay Bridge, from Kiptopeke, Virginia

18. Abandoned farm, South Park Valley, Colorado

Southwest in Black and White

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

I am continuing to work on new techniques for converting color photos to black and white (I'm reading a book on the topic). Some of these techniques can really bring out the best in a photo. Here are some favorites from my work this weekend. All are from Utah, mostly southeast, and were taken during my trip there just over a year ago.

Above is a view of the moon over the buttes just outside the north entrance of Canyonlands National Park. Below is a scene from southwest of Vernal, Utah.

The last two photos are from Monument Valley. The edifice below benefited from some interesting and very transient lighting as the sun broke through the clouds. Below that is a panorama of the valley. I'm not sure how well it will appear here on the blog, so click on it to get the best possible view.

Monterey in Black and White

2011-12-08T23:23:00.001-06:00

I've been working on some old pictures from Monterey, California, converting them into black and white. The pictures are from November of 1997, and they have been scanned from film, which can present some technical problems. Some of them are excessively grainy, and resolution isn't great.

Here are a couple of my favorites so far. Above is a view looking out from the point of the Monterey peninsula, in Pacific Grove. Below, a shot of some roosting sea birds.

Finally, A look out to the ocean, again in Pacific Grove, using a long exposure to blur the waves a bit. Black and white seems well suited to the cloudy, moody weather under which these shots were taken.

Life Imitates Nature

2011-12-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

Here's a scene from extreme northwest Nebraska, near Harrison. I enjoyed how the human structures were slowly beginning to look like the rock outcroppings. I'm not sure what the center structure is. It looks like a Stonehenge made of oil barrels.

Photo Of The Day

2011-12-02T05:00:00.001-06:00

Today's photo is an abandoned gas station in Gilman, Illinois, rendered as a painting.

Planning ahead

2011-11-30T08:02:00.000-06:00

It's generally true in landscape photography that the more planning you can do, the better the results. My recent star trails photo, posted last Friday, was an example of this. I planned the shot in advance, did a test shot a week or so before hand, and used that shot to fine tune the final photo.

So I thought I'd let you in on some planning I am doing right now for another night shot. I'd like to get a night shot of the barn above, illuminated by a technique called light painting. What I'm visualizing is something close to the angle of view above, with the barn illuminated, and the surroundings dark, but with stars visible. I'm not planning on star trails, because I don't think I will be able to find a safe enough parking place to spend that kind of time. We'll see, because star trails behind the illuminated barn would be way cool.

So that's what I'm planning, hopefully in the next week or so. I'm taking a risk, announcing my plans in advance, because it may not turn out to be any good at all. Wish me luck.

Chesapeake Bay

2011-11-28T05:00:00.003-06:00

This is a photo from my travels down the east coast last spring. I stopped at the very end of Cape Charles, just before entering the bridge and tunnel that crosses Chesapeake Bay. Out from the shore were old pilings that look like some sort of abandoned fishing apparatus. Whether or not that's the case, the various sea birds were gathering enthusiastically, implying that fish were to be had there.

Star Trails Again

2011-11-25T14:59:00.002-06:00

I know I've been putting up a lot of star trails photos recently, but this is a shot I've been wanting to get for a long time. It was taken out in the countryside southeast of Savoy Illinois, at the observatory owned by the Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society, on November 24th 2011. The final picture consists of 99 exposures taken over 90 minutes, and merged in Photoshop. The exposures were of varying lengths, but most around 20 seconds, at f5.6, using a Canon EF 10-22mm wide zoom at 10mm, on a Canon 60D camera.

Many thanks to David Leake, president of the CUAS, for permission to photograph at the observatory.

Photo Of The Day

2011-11-23T05:00:00.004-06:00

A view inside the Imperial palace in Kyoto, Japan.

A bit of abstract

2011-11-21T05:00:00.005-06:00

I've been working on creating abstract photos in black and white. Here are some of my favorites of my recent efforts.

I like the picture above for its M.C. Escher-like effect. The picture below is almost pure geometric form, but with enough variation to keep it from becoming mechanical.

Finally, a close-up of an everyday object.

Star Trails at Home

2011-11-18T05:00:00.004-06:00

On Wednesday I posted a time-lapse project, part of which involved filming the sky for an entire day from my bedroom window. In the night portion of the film you can watch the stars move across the sky. I thought I'd take those same still shots and create a star trails shot from the footage. And here it is.

11-11-11 Time Lapse

2011-11-16T05:00:00.009-06:00

This is a time lapse video of my day on 11-11-11. It is meant to complement the "11-11-11 One Day on Earth" project, but is not affiliated with it. The film is a combination of stills shot with a Canon Rebel XTi, and video shot with a Canon 60D and Flip HD video camera. Time lapse sequences from video were prepared using QuickTime pro 7, and the project was assembled in Adobe Premier Pro CS5

Music by Vivaldi

Minneapolis Elevators Redux

2011-11-14T05:00:00.001-06:00

Just for comparison purposes, I've decided to post the three pictures I posted on Friday, only in color this time. Which do you prefer?

Minneapolis Elevators

2011-11-11T05:00:00.001-06:00

On my trip to Minneapolis this week I finally got the chance to spend some time exploring and shooting the old grain elevators that line Hiawatha Avenue on the south side of town. Although old, the elevators bustle with activity, and are right on top of a busy railroad switching yard. Here are some of my favorite shots from the trip.

The picture above was taken looking north from 37th Street and Dight Avenue. Below is the view along the tracks, to the north from 42nd Street.

Finally here is the majestic tower of the General Mills elevator, looking south from 37th Street.

Iowa Countryside

2011-11-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

I had to run up to Minnesota this week to give a presentation. On the way up, driving through rural Northeast Iowa, it was a beautiful late fall day. Above is a view of farms and the rolling fields. Below is a view across the fields of Ricardsville, Iowa. On my way back down on Wednesday, there was snow on the ground. Fall is fleeting.

Photo of the Day

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Playing around for the effect with some fall foliage here. I used some blur to get a gauzy effect that I like. The question is, do you like it? I find that there is often a point why my taste seems to go off the rails, and shots that I like a lot are not appreciated by others.

Is that the case here? I'll let you be the judge

Glorious Sunset

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

There was a beautiful sunset through the clouds on Wednesday evening. I managed to catch it behind the historic round barns on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana. The only camera I had with me was my Canon G12, and the shot above is a straight shot (no HDR), so you can see how incredible the color was. A beautiful sight, to be sure.

Fall Foliage

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more shots from my drive on Saturday. These are presented in living color. Both were taken in the cemetery on the east side of Chenoa, Illinois. I'm not sure that I got the foliage at its peak of color, but I think I'm close.

A Drive on a Fall Day

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000-05:00

Office building, Rankin, Illinois

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day. It was sunny and clear, with temperatures in the upper 50s. I had plenty of other things to do, but I found a long drive in central Illinois to be irresistible. I set out in search of fall foliage, but found myself mostly attracted to old buildings in the small towns I passed through. Above and below are some of my favorites.

Grain elevator, Forrest, Illinois

Pit-Stop Cafe, Rankin, Illinois

Vista Auto Sales, Rankin, Illinois

Photo of the Day

2011-10-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice view of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. I took this just over a year ago, in October, which gives some of the trees a nice yellow glow.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a view of clouds over the Gallatin Mountains in south western Montana. The photo was taken in the town of Pray, just a few miles north of the north entrance to Yellowstone.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

A final black and white flower conversion for your delectation today. Of all the flower photos I worked on over the weekend, this was my favorite. Strong lines, some nice blacks countered by highlights, good form. I like it.

On Wednesday, something with more color. I promise.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on black and white conversions. I decided to challenge myself by converting some of my pictures of flowers. This is a challenge, because most of my flower pictures are focussed on color, but black and white is all about form. In order to pick the right flower to convert, I have to be able to see the form regardless of the color. Anyway, the picture above is my favorite conversion so far. I'm still working on it, so there may be more.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-19T04:54:00.000-05:00

Today's photo is about sky and water. It was taken earlier this year at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia, on the north side. The bridge part of the bridge and tunnel that cross the mouth of the bay is visible on the horizon.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

A beautiful summer day on a wild part of the French Mediterranean coast in 2006. I remember that the beauty of the shoreline was enough to distract me form the girls bathing topless just outside of the frame. After this it was back to the villa to freshen up, and then off to a fabulous meal at a great restaurant in a nearby small town. You have to love France!

Photo of the Day

2011-10-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Let's go with a reflection today. This one is from the University of Illinois campus.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to learn new techniques in Photoshop--especially having to do with black and white. The picture above, of the Nijo-Bashi bridge at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, is an example of trying to make a photo look aged. I'd say I'm about half way there in terms of mastering the techniques.

Fall Feelings

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

The leaves in the trees are just beginning to change colors here in East-Central Illinois. It's a pretty time of year, but the colors are not yet at their peak. It reminds of my visit to Kyoto in November of 2006. Kyoto is in a slightly more tropical latitude, and so the leaves there turn colors later.

Above is a scene in the garden of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, rendered as a painting. Below, another garden scene, this one in the garden of the Shogun's Palace, the Nijo-Jo.

The splashes of red from the Maple trees contrasts nicely with the green of the other trees. Here's to autumn colors.

Photo of the Day

2011-10-08T14:02:00.001-05:00

Taxicabs on a rainy day in Kyoto. They are reflected in the window of a building across the street from Kyoto Station.

Photo Of The Day

2011-10-05T02:49:00.001-05:00

This shot has a graphical element that I like, and the crow is somehow ambiguous, as crows so often are. The picture was taken in Hakodate, Japan, but could be anywhere.

Photo Of The Day

2011-10-03T10:28:00.002-05:00

Here is an old church near Williston, North Dakota, rendered as a painting. The pictures was taken in June of 2009.

Photo of the Day

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

The famous Alma Mater statue by Loredo Taft at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Altgeld Hall is behind it.

Photo of the Day

2011-09-28T10:12:00.001-05:00

Beverage tasting, Nagoya japan, November 2006.

Photo of the Day

2011-09-26T03:15:00.000-05:00

I seem to be on a countryside theme, lately. This is East-Central Illinois.

Photo of the Day

2011-09-25T09:53:00.003-05:00

Another favorite from a couple years a go. This is in Kansas.

Daily Dose of Green

2011-09-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

These photos may have been on the blog before (I'm too lazy to check). But as summer winds down I am reminded of the beautiful open green spaces and lovely clouds of the Dakotas in summer. These are both from June of 2009.

Photo Of The Day

2011-09-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Another old favorite of mine, just because. This happens to be in the Ginza district of Tokyo, but could be any modern city, anywhere.

Falling Around

2011-09-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Our first taste of cool weather has me thinking about Fall. This fall, I'm determined to get out in the countryside more and get some good pictures. Here is one of my favorites form years past.

Garbage

2011-09-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

I take a lot of pictures of garbage. There. I said it, and I'm glad. When looking for photo subjects, I spend as much time looking down as I do up and around. I find that things on the ground can make great subjects. In this post I have several of my favorite pictures of garbage. These are all unmanipulated in the sense that I do not move or arrange things I find to make the photo. Part of the challenge is to find subjects that are in place and ready to be shot.

Food litter is the most common type of object I find, and not surprisingly, the McDonalds Corporation produces a sizable percentage of food litter.

If you're looking for a new photography subject, you might try looking for garbage.

Photo Of The Day

2011-09-12T07:21:00.000-05:00

I'm starting to think about fall, so here's a favorite fall photo.

Favorites: Grainy, Fuzzy Polaroids.

2011-09-09T05:00:00.002-05:00

You'll either like this or you won't. Above, a line of trees in the countryside, taken by an old Polaroid camera on a foggy January day. The Polaroid was scanned, cropped, rendered in black and white, and enlarged to enhance the grain. Personally, I love it, and I'd love to take more images like it. Below, the same line of trees, taken on the same day with my regular camera, and stitched together as a panorama.

Below, another picture derived from the same Polaroid scanning process, of an old grain bin (now gone) on Highway 45 near Thomasboro, IL.

Photo Of The Day

2011-09-07T05:00:00.005-05:00

This week and next I'll be continuing to post photos that aren't so much travel related, but are some of my favorite "creative" shots that I've been meaning to get up on the blog.

The picture above is at least from Japan--Kyoto in fact. I like how the parallel escalators terminate at different levels, momentarily tricking the eye. Also, for what it's worth, this is just about the only time I've been in a train or subway station in Japan when there weren't lots of other people around me. I suppose that was significant enough to photograph as well.

Photo Of The Day

2011-09-05T05:00:00.003-05:00

Another black and white study--This time of a very old set of grain bins in East Central Illinois.

Photo Of The Day

2011-09-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today, a nice black and white study from Rankin, Illinois.

Photo of the Day: A Reflection

2011-08-31T05:00:00.011-05:00

Pursuing some of my more abstract work once again, here is a view of the some reflections found in the evening in downtown Nagoya, Japan. The picture is from November, 2006.

Wonderful Walks: Kronborg and Karnan Castles

2011-08-29T05:00:00.092-05:00

The Oresund is the strait that separates Helsingore Denmark, from Helsingborg Sweden, and is considered the opening of the Baltic Sea. Just two and a half miles wide, it should be no surprise that both sides of the strait have castles. This walk takes you around both of those castles, one in Denmark and one in Sweden, with a half hour ferry ride across the Oresund between the two. This walk would make a nice day trip from Copenhagen, or from anywhere in southern Sweden.

We'll start in Helsingore, just about an hour from Copenhagen by train, which is the site of Kronberg castle. A beautifully preserved renaissance edifice, Kronborg is a UNESCO World heritage site, and was immortalized by Shakespeare as Elsinore castle in the play Hamlet. Above is a view of Kronborg from the ferry.

Inside the central courtyard you can view the architectural details of the castle. Outside, there is a very nice set of pathways around the castle let visitors explore the old castle outbuildings and the various battlements.

Once you've toured Kronborg, catch a bus or cab to the Helsingor ferry terminal, and board a ferry to Helsingborg. The ferry ride is about half an hour. If you are hungry, the ferries have very nice restaurants. If your meal takes longer than the ride, don't worry. You can ride back and forth as many times as you want for no extra charge.

Helsingborg is on the southern tip of Sweden, and is the site of the Karnan (above), an ancient castle and fortress. From the Ferry terminal, turn left and walk about two blocks on the Jarnvagsgatan to the main street, Stortorget. Look right, and you will see the Karnan at the top of the hill.

Climbing to the top of the Karnan gives you a beautiful view of the Oresund, with Helsingor across the way.

After exploring the Karnan, take a quick walk around downtown Helsingborg. There is a beautiful town hall, and the harbor area has many small shops and restaurants. The area that is now Helsingborg was the boyhood home of Tycho Brahe, the 16th century astronomer, and there is a monument to him not far from the Karnan.

The maps below show the walk around each castle, and the ferry ride ride between them.

If you click on the links below each map, you can use Google's Street View feature to see for yourself what the surroundings look like on any part of the walk. You can also switch from satellite to map view.

Helsingor and Helsingborg

View Helsingor & Helsingborg in a larger map

Kronborg Castle in Helsingor

View Kronborg in a larger map

The Karnan, and downtown Helsingborg

View Karnan--helsingborg in a larger map

Feeling Wirey

2011-08-26T05:00:00.003-05:00

Here's a nice graphic look at one of my favorite subjects: Wires and poles, and in this case a jet contrail as well. I love the crossing lines.

Wonderful Walks--A Night Walk in Kyoto's Geisha Districts

2011-08-24T08:16:00.000-05:00

Gion is the legendary Geisha District of Kyoto, and the ne plus ultra of the Geisha world. In Gion itself, and in Pontocho, a slightly smaller neighborhood across the Kamo river, the main source of trade is Geisha houses, mostly invitation-only places of entertainment for wealthy business people. It is a neighborhood of small lanes lined with wooden machiya style merchant houses and restaurants, teahouses, and theaters. At night, it is aglow with lamplight, and the perfect place for an evening stroll.

This walk is just under two miles, and starts and ends at the Kawaramachi subway station, on Shijo-dori at Kawaramachi Dori, and just a block west of the Kamo river. From the subway station, head east for a block, and then turn left, or north, on Kiya-machi Dori, into the Pontocho neighborhood. You will walk alongside the small canal, pictured above (rendered as a painting). Proceed north, and take the last right before reaching Sanjo Dori, the next major east-west street, and then turn right again to head back south down the small alley leading back to Shijo Dori.

This small alley has many exclusive Geisha houses, intermixed with tiny bars and small store fronts. The street is lit by electric signs, and by beautiful old-style hanging lanterns. It is pictured above, also rendered as a painting.

The world of the Geisha is much misunderstood in the west, and yet is very important to Japanese culture. Geishas are professional entertainers, and are highly trained as musicians, dancers and conversationalists. They are not prostitutes, as is sometimes alleged. At the top of the profession, they offer their services to an exclusive list of clients. It is impossible to visit a top Geisha establishment without being vouched for by a current client. The prices for their services are often in the eye watering range--several thousand dollars for a few hours of drinks, food, conversation, and musical performance. But in many ways Geisha represent the ultimate in Japanese cultural refinement, and to be a client can be a great honor.

Once you find your way back to Shijo Dori, turn left, or east, and cross the Kamo River on Shijo Dori. Take the first left past the river to head north again, this time on Yamato Oji Dori. You are now in Gion proper. Head north until you come to another canal, and then turn right to follow it to the east for a few blocks, until the canal turns north. You will be walking on Shirakawa-Minami Dori.

This area is Gion proper, and the quiet grace and (relative) lack of electric signs speak to the exclusive nature of the establishments you are passing. There are other sights to see, including the small shrine, pictured above. Cross the canal as it turns north and continue on Shirakawa-Minami Dori for another block to Hanamikoji Dori. Although at this point it is quiet, Hanamikoji Dori is Gion's most famous and exclusive street of Geisha houses, and is a big tourist attraction.

Along Hanamikoji Dori you will find more elaborate, and yet discrete, entrances to the Geisha houses. In spite of the signs, as you can see in the photo above, the doors are closed, and entering requires being paged in. It all says invited clients only.

Walk south on Hanamikoji Dori until you reach Shijo Dori again, and then cross continue south again. This is the most famous and busiest part of the street. In the evening it teems with tourists hoping for a glimpse of the Geisha world, and limousines delivering the wealthy to their appointments at the Geisha houses.

You can proceed south on Hanamikoji Dori for a few blocks. When you've had enough, turn around and head back north. When you arrive at Shijo Dori, turn left, and walk back west along this bustling and dynamic main artery. Cross the river again, and you will arrive back at the Kawaramachi subway station.

This is a lovely evening walk any time of year, and a wonderful way to see some of old Kyoto.

If you click on the link below the map, you can use Google's Street View feature to see for yourself what the surroundings look like on any part of the walk. You can also switch from satellite to map view.

View Kyoto Gion walk in a larger map

A Bit of Abstraction

2011-08-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

Wednesday's post will be a walk at night through the Gion section of Kyoto. While choosing photos for that post, I came across one of my favorite abstract photos, taken at night in Kyoto, although not in Gion. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Wonderful Walks--St. Tropez

2011-08-19T05:00:00.044-05:00

Anyone who visits the coast of Provence, France, is going to want to visit St. Tropez. Famous as a celebrity hangout, St. Tropez is a beautiful little harbor town, where you can mix celebrity watching with exploring the old Citadel and shopping in a great outdoor market.

I start this walk in the main parking area, by the bay, just off the Avenue General De Gaulle (on the far left of the map, below). The walk is a about two and a quarter miles long. Begin by heading east on Boulevarde Louis Blanc. You will soon arrive at the Place Des Lices, a wonderful green park filled with Plane trees. If you're in luck, and it is Tuesday or Saturday, you will find the park brimming with activity with the bi-weekly outdoor market and flea market (below). If so, take some time to look around.

The market offers all kinds of merchandise, and also foods, and many locals do their shopping there.

From the Place Des Lices, continue east for a couple of blocks, to the grounds of the Citadel. Climbing the hill will not only let you explore the Citadel itself, but also gives you the best views of St. Tropez, and the bay, the Golfe De St. Tropez. The picture at the top of this post was taken from the Citadel grounds.

The Citadel dates from the 16th century, and the grounds around it have been preserved very nicely.

After viewing the citadel, head downhill toward the water, where you will come to the entrance to the St. Tropez Cemetery. The cemetery wraps around the eastern flank of the Citadel hill, right next to the bay. It is notable for the celebrities buried there and for the generally ornate decorations on the graves. Even if you don't normally visit cemeteries, it's worth a look.

From the cemetery, head back west and wind through the old town until you reach the harbor. It is usually crammed with huge, multimillion dollar yachts of all kinds and description. It's a vulgar display, actually, but still lots of fun, and celebrity sightings are common.

Like all French towns there are plenty of great restaurants in town, and most of the town itself is quite picturesque. You might prefer to stay somewhere else--somewhere less touristy, perhaps--but St. Tropez is certainly a fun place that is very much worth a visit if you are in that part of France.

If you click on the link below the map, you can use Google's Street View feature to see for yourself what the surroundings look like on any part of the walk. You can also switch from satellite to map view.

View A walk in St. Tropez in a larger map

Corn and Clouds

2011-08-17T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a photo I took on Monday evening, just southwest of the Champaign-Urbana airport. Pretty soon all this corn will dry out and be harvested. But luckily, there will always be clouds.

Wonderful Walks--Around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

2011-08-15T05:00:00.009-05:00

The Imperial Place in Tokyo is in the center of the city, just two blocks from Tokyo Station.The palace complex is set on the grounds of the old shogun's palace, and is mostly closed to the public. However, the walk around the perimeter of the grounds, just over three miles, is full of interesting and beautiful things to see.

The most logical place to start the walk is on the main plaza in front of the palace, called the Kokyogaien. This is the area closest to the palace itself, and faces the most important palace gates, including the Nijo-Bashi, or bridge of state, above. Below is a picture of the Kokyogaien, taken facing away from the palace, with the Marunouchi financial district in the background.

My preference at this point is to walk north, proceeding around the grounds in a counterclockwise direction. One of the charming things about this walk is the juxtaposition of old and new, as the ancient palace ramparts and moat contrast with modern Tokyo on the other side of the street.

Just north of the Kokyogaien is the beautiful Wadakura Fountain Park (below), which is part of the Palace's East Garden. The fountain park was built to commemorate the wedding of the Crown Prince, and is open to the public at all times. It's well worth a look. Further north is the East Garden proper, which is open most days, and free, but requires a ticket to enter. I don't include the East Garden as part of this walk because it alone can take several hours to explore.

Proceeding around the grounds, there is an ever changing view of the old palace ramparts and the modern city. There are many smaller gates, such as the Hanzomon Gate (below) along with much greenery and flowers.

As you walk beside the moat, keep an eye out for the several pairs of swans who live there. Don't get too close, though. They are picturesque, but not friendly.

I have done this walk in May and November, and found it delightful each time. It is mostly flat, with some small rises, but there should be nothing too challenging about it. Most of the walk is on sidewalks next to major streets, so there's plenty of traffic to watch out for, but you can circle the perimeter without having to cross any major thoroughfares. All in all, it's a wonderful walk.

If you click on the link below the map, you can use Google's Street View feature to see for yourself what the surroundings look like on any part of the walk. You can also switch from satellite to map view.

View Tokyo Palace Walk in a larger map

Wonderful Walks--Introduction

2011-08-12T05:00:00.001-05:00

I love to travel, and as far as I'm concerned, the best way to really get to see a new place is to grab my camera, and set out for a walk. I've made it a point to do this everywhere I can, and those walks have yielded my best memories, and often my best photos, from my travels around the world. As an example, the photo above is of a decorative detail in the Gion district of Kyoto, taken on an evening walk there.

I'd like to share some of those walks with you. Over the next few weeks I plan to post photos from my favorite walks from around the world, hopefully along with a map showing my route for each one.

I'm doing this partly to motivate myself. A few years ago some medical reversals effectively ended my walking career, at least beyond short distances, and I have fallen out of the walking practice. However, recent treatments have had some success, and I hope over the next year to regain my walking abilities. When I do, I hope to hit the trail once again.

Stay tuned for more Wonderful Walks.

Seven Months Ago Today...

2011-08-10T05:00:00.002-05:00

As our historic heat wave finally breaks a bit, it seems appropriate (or is it perverse?) to remember that seven months ago today I was braving historic cold to get this shot of an icy county road southeast of Urbana, Illinois. We certainly do have seasons around here.

Here's hoping this picture cools you down a bit. Now on with summer.

Countryside

2011-08-08T05:00:00.003-05:00

Today, just a nice countryside scene from eastern Kansas, with cows grazing under partly cloudy skies. Why? Because it's summer, and it's America.

Sunset

2011-08-05T05:00:00.005-05:00

Out capturing another sunset, I was looking for a new angle, and then I noticed the reflection on the roof of my car. It's not perfect, but I like it.

Another look at Grand Teton

2011-08-03T05:00:00.001-05:00

I'm continuing to work on the pictures from my trip to Yellowstone. At the risk of being redundant, here is Grand Teton Mountain again, this time rendered in black and white. With scenery like this, the pictures take themselves; I just hold the camera.

Time Lapse Sunrise Boulder Colorado

2011-08-01T20:10:00.000-05:00

Apropos of nothing, here is a short time lapse movie of the sun coming up in Boulder Colorado:

Time Lapse Surise Boulder Colorado from Paul D. Healey on Vimeo.

Yellowstone, Part 4

2011-08-01T05:00:00.003-05:00

Having attended my cousin's wedding, and having visited Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks, I headed home across the northern plains. The trip took three days. On the first morning, just after leaving Livingston, Montana, I came across the scene above on a bend of the Yellowstone River. The Absaroka Mountains are in the background. There's nothing like morning on a beautiful summer day.

Just outside of Greybull, Wyoming, the South Bighorn County Airport serves as the resting place for a retired fleet of fire fighting planes. Some of the planes have been included in an open-air museum. The photo above shows horses grazing, with part of the fleet in the background, and beyond that, the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains.

Finally, a scene looking east, just a few miles south of Greybull. This is really the edge of the Great Plains, and it feels like it.

All in all, it was a great trip. I am still processing my pictures from it, and will continue to post them from time to time in the coming weeks.

Yellowstone, Part 3

2011-07-29T05:00:00.009-05:00

Our National Parks system is both wonderful and important, in that the parks both preserve wilderness and yet make it available to see and use in a controlled fashion. Yellowstone National Park was the very first park created under the system, and it is spectacular, as is Grand Tetons National Park, immediately adjacent to it to the south. Both parks have been heavily photographed, and in the middle of summer are quite crowded. In fact, the picture above, of a creek running through a meadow in Yellowstone, was taken from my car, while sitting for over an hour in a traffic jam in the park. Below is the view forward at the exact same time:

As a photographer, the real challenge of Yellowstone and Grand Tetons is to find something new to photograph, or an interesting angle on what's there. The Grand Tetons are hopeless in this regard. Their beauty and majesty is obvious and awesome, and every photo of them tends to look like a postcard. I took many cliche photos, like the one I posted last week, that I'm still quite proud of as photos, but to shake off the "same old" problem, I ended up reaching for my infrared camera. Here is an infrared view of Grand Teton, rendered in black and white:

Yellowstone is in many ways less dramatic, but also more varied. It is famous for its geothermal activity, and the park abounds with geysers and fumeroles. I didn't get to see Old Faithful, because both times I tried to the parking lots were so jammed that there was no place to stop and get out of the car, but I did get pictures of other geothermal activity.

Finally, giving in to the cliche, here is a panorama of the Grand Tetons. I'm not sure how well it will display on this blog; the original is over 5 feet wide. Click on it for a bigger version.

On Monday I will post pictures from the trip home.

Yellowstone, Part 2

2011-07-27T05:00:00.006-05:00

I planned my trip to Yellowstone so that I could see as much of the Colorado Rockies as possible. After spending the night in Colorado Springs, I looped north through the mountains to Boulder, then the next day crossed through Rocky Mountain National Park before heading north into Wyoming.

The picture above is of part of the Collegiate Range, taken on the west side of the South Park Valley, just south of Beuna Vista. As you can see, the clouds were nice and dramatic for this part of the trip.

Below, an abandoned farmstead sits surrounded by the splendor of the South Park Valley.

When I first had my Canon G-9 modified to take infrared pictures, I thought I was doing it for the effect it has on foliage. In fact, I have found that the infrared effect on the sky and clouds is much more dramatic. The picture below is a good example. It was taken on Magnolia road, just southwest of Boulder, and shows a mountain meadow and part of the front range.

Finally, moving north, we have a scene from north of Rawlins, in south-central Wyoming.

On Friday, pictures from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

Yellowstone, Part 1

2011-07-25T05:00:00.021-05:00

No, that's not Wyoming in the picture above, but it was taken on my recent trip to Wyoming and Montana. A cousin of mine was getting married in Pray Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park, so I threw my cameras in the car and headed out. As always when traveling west, the first two days were used just getting across the plains. The photos in today's post are from that part of the trip.

The picture above is of the Kansas countryside near St. Marys, on US 24 between Topeka and Manhattan. Below is an old Sinclair gas station, still in use, in Salisbury, Missouri. The photo was taken with my infrared camera, and rendered in black and white.

Next up are two pictures from the little eastern Colorado town of Simla, which is 75 miles southeast of Denver. The first is a picture of the rolling range land that dominates the eastern part of the state. The view is to the northwest, and were it not for the clouds, the Rockies would be plainly visible.

And then finally, a picture of the old grain elevator in Simla rendered, appropriately, I think, in black and white.

On Wednesday, I'll post pictures from the Colorado Rockies and Wyoming.

Grand Teton

2011-07-22T05:00:00.004-05:00

I'm just back from a two week trip to Wyoming and Montana, which presented my first-ever chance to see Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Next week I will post various pictures from the trip. For today, here is a view of Grand Teton Mountain, at the center of the Grand Tetons Range, in Grand Tetons National Park (it's a bit redundant, I know). Click on the photo for a larger view.

It was a great trip, and I have some nice pictures to share, not just from Wyoming and Montana, but also from Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. Check back next week.

Summer 10

2011-07-20T05:00:00.006-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the last few weeks I've been posting them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

I've saved two of my very favorite summer photos for this, the last installment in my summer top 20 series. Above is the beach at Cavalaire-Sur-Mer at just about sunset in June of 2006. Cavalaire-Sur-Mer is in Provence, on the south Coast of France, a few miles east of St. Tropez. To me, everything about this picture, from the people leaving the beach, to the calm of the waves, to the fading glow of the sun, contributes to the feeling that this was the end of a perfect day--the kind of day that only happens in the summer.

Below is yet another black and white photo of North Dakota countryside. The clouds are beautiful, and the beginning of the rain from the cloud in the center give the whole photo a certain dynamism. It's one of my very favorites.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my favorite summer pictures. I've certainly enjoyed blogging about them.

Summer 9

2011-07-18T05:00:00.006-05:00

Summer 8

2011-07-15T05:00:00.002-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

The picture above, from June of 2009, captures a misty morning in northwestern North Dakota. Coming from a rural part of the country that nonetheless has evidence of human habitation everywhere, I found the vast emptiness of the Dakotas to be fascinating.

Our next summer photo is really a spring photo, as you can tell from the corn shoots in the field. This photo, from May of this year, was shot in infrared and processed into black and white. The scene is just north of Urbana, Illinois.

Summer 7

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

I've noticed that clouds are a big theme in my summer pictures, and why not? The sky is beautiful in the summer. In the case of the picture above, the clouds are hanging over Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Picture was taken in late May of 2010.

The picture below was taken on the Mediterranean, just off the coast of the Provence region of France in June of 2006.

Summer 6

2011-07-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

Above is a moody view of the Wasatch Range of the Colorado Rockies, just a bit north of the San Luis Valley. The picture was taken in July of 1985.

The next photo is from Japan, and is the view out the door of a farm house near Koriyama taken in June of 1988. I love the the cat lounging in the doorway, and the general quiet summer afternoon feel it gives.

Summer 5

2011-07-08T05:00:00.009-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

As we reach the midpoint of my top 20 summer photos we have a black and white study of the countryside in northern South Dakota, with a thunderstorm burgeoning in the background. The picture is from June of 2009.

Next, a night shot of State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, from August of 1993. The view is toward the state capitol from the edge of the University of Wisconsin campus. The original photo was on film, and is here rendered as a painting.

Summer 4

2011-07-06T05:00:00.009-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

The picture above is from the Minnesota State Fair, one of America's great state fairs. Taken in 1997, it is a time exposure of the Ferris Wheel on the midway, and the moon. In Minnesota the state fair, which ends each year on labor day, is the official closing event of summer.

Below, we have St. Tropez in late June of 2006, at the beginning of the high summer season. As you can see, the harbor is already crammed with multi-million dollar yachts. In fact, two weeks after this picture was taken, Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson showed up here to get married. And we all know how that turned out.

In Honor of Independence Day

2011-07-04T05:00:00.008-05:00

I'm taking a break from posting my top twenty summer photos to mark Independence Day with this photo of the Washington monument in Washington DC. The photo was taken way back in the summer of 1981, and is presented here rendered as a painting.

Enjoy the holiday!

Summer 3

2011-07-01T05:00:00.007-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

For the third installment, we start in Copenhagen, in June of 1990. The scene is the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park. Summer is short in Denmark, but quite lovely.

Next we go back to Japan, to Koriyama, for one of my favorite flower photos. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the flowers. The photo is from June of 1988. Koriyama was affected slightly by the earthquake last March, but is also the city closest to the Daiichi nuclear power plant that is causing so much trouble for Japan.

Summer 2

2011-06-29T05:00:00.007-05:00

It's summer, and to celebrate I have looked through my files and picked out 20 photos that best embody the feelings I experience in summer. Over the next few weeks I'm going to post them, two at a time, as a way to celebrate the summer season. Some of these have appeared on this blog before. Click on any picture to see a larger version.

For our second installment, it's Tokyo in summer. The picture above, from 2005, was taken from a window of the old Palace Hotel. It is of one of the old guard structures on the outer wall of the Imperial Palace, nestled among the beautiful trees that cover the palace grounds.

Below, a black and white study of a barn near De Kalb, in northern Illinois, from 2004.

Summer 1

2011-06-27T05:00:00.005-05:00

Enjoy the season!

Focus!

2011-06-24T05:00:00.015-05:00

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

--Arthur C. Clarke, "Profiles of The Future", 1961 (Clarke's third law)

The picture above is of the view from my hotel balcony in Myrtle Beach, SC in April of this year. It was a great view, and one of the things I wanted to do during my stay was make a time lapse movie of the sun setting and lights coming on from this vantage point.

Time lapse movies are made up of many individual photos taken sequentially. A key part of taking such photos is to put the camera in completely manual mode--focus, exposure, white balance, etc.-- so that the camera's automated systems don't cause too much variation between the sequential photos. That, in turn means being very careful about how you set up the camera.

In this case, I set everything on manual, and then checked everything...except the focus. The result, after several hours of shooting, was over 1700 photos that look like this:

The time lapse movie was ruined, and because I was only spending one night in Myrtle Beach, my only chance to make that movie was gone. Mind you, I've had worse disappointments in life, but this was a real shame. With modern technology, lots of aspects of a photo can be manipulated or fixed after the fact, but not focus. The simple fact is that if I don't get the focus right when I shoot, that photo is ruined forever.

Well, maybe not in the future. I just read a news story about a new kind of lens that actually lets you refocus a picture after it has been taken. Really. A new company, Lytro, has just announced technology that will allow photos to be refocused in any way, and repeatedly, after the fact. It seems like magic, and yet the description of how the technology works makes some sense. So now, even the focus of a photo will be changeable after the fact.

I've written before about how I feel we are living in a golden age of camera equipment. But even I didn't think it would come to this. I hope that one day soon I'll get my hands on one of these new lenses. Maybe then I can head back to Myrtle Beach.

A Little Minnesota Humor

2011-06-22T05:00:00.006-05:00

Here's a poster I've been meaning to make for a while. I spent five years in Minnesota, and the winters almost killed me. To be sure, the people who live there seemed to thrive on it. They were all certainly very happy living there, and I respect them for that. But me? I couldn't take it. Anyway, I hope any Minnesotans who see this will accept it in the spirit of fun with which it is offered.

You may want to click on the poster for a larger view.

The Road Less Traveled

2011-06-20T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture from 2007 of a country road disappearing into the woods in western Virginia. Rendered as a painting using Topaz Simplify.